Cranking device.



M. B. SMITH.

GRANKING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 8, 1914.

Patented Dec. 22, 1914.

THE NORRIS PEYERS c0 PHOTO-L'TH! wAswwma'v 5 r UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MELVILLE B. SMITH, OF NEW YORK, Y.

n CRANKING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Dec. 22, 1914.

Applicationfiled April 8, 1914. Serial No. 830,333.

' To all whom it may concern:

' Be it known that I, MELVILLE B. Sunrrn, a citizen of the'United States, residing in the city of New York, borough of Queens,

'county of Queens, and State of New York,

have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cranking Devices, of which the 'followingis a specification.

My invention relates broadly and generally to new and useful improvements in cranking devices for turning a shaft or other rotatable device, and'isdesigned to be 1 automatically disconnected from said shaft or device, should the latter for any reason rotatein the. reverse direction from that in which the cranking device is rotated.

' a My invention is adapted to be used in connection with any rotatable shaft or device for which it is suitable, but is especially intended to be used in connection with cranking devices, either hand-operated or automatic, for turning over the driving shaft of an internal combustion eng ne when it s desired tostart the latter.

automatically disconnecting said cranking I wherein:

The primary object of, the invention is to provide a cranking; device of improved and'simplified construction, which will operate efliciently and positively to turn a shaft or other rotatable device, but which will be provided with eflicient means for invention in the accompanyingdrawings to v part of this specification and be taken as a Figure 1 is a view in side elevation, partly in section, of a cranking device embodying my invention, thesame being shown connected directlyto the'engine motor shaft, or to a part for transmitting motion to the engine shaft. Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal detail section of the automatic clutch mechanism for connecting and disconnecting the: crank with the engine shaft. Fig. 3'is a section on the line 3-3 of F ig. '2.

Fig. 4 is a detail view in front elevation of one of the clutch elements. Fig. 5 isv a detail view in rear elevation of a shifting device "for automatically separating the clutch elements when the engine shaft is driven rearward.

Referring to the drawings by characters of reference, A designates an engine shaft, or a shaft suitably geared to or connected to the engine shaft so as to drive the latter when operated as hereinafter described.

This shaft A is provided with a cross-pin 1 adapted to be engaged by the clutch faces :2. on a coupling head 3, which clutch faces are joinedv by inclined cam faces 1, shown in full and dotted lines at the right of Fig; 1. This coupling is provided, with a socketed nipple 5 to receive one end of a transinission shaft 6,-said shaft 6 being connected to said nippleby a tapered cross-pin 7 extending through the said nipple, and the end of, said shaft 6, the arrangement being such that a positive driving connection will be afforded betweenthe shaft A- and the shaft 6Q Means is provided, to be hereinafter described, for permitting yielding engagement between the clutch head 3 and the pin 1 on the shaft A, so that when the engine shaft 'A starts to rotate continuously said coupling will be disconnected from the shaft A; While I have shown this specific manner of connecting the starting device with the engine shaft,I desire it understood that I do 'not desire to be limited to such a connection, as any other suitable mechanical connection may be employed which will afford the proper driving of the engine shaft by the shaft 6. .The shaft (imay be arranged to turn in a bearing 8 supported a motor car chassis (not'shown), if the starting device is to be used upon the motor of a motor vehicle. The shaft 6 is provided with a longitudinal bore 10 extending from beneath the transverse frame member 9 of its front} portion to. a point intermediate its I ends, at which .intermediate point it opens into a larger bore or socket 11, a shoulder or abutment 12 being formed at the point where said bores 10 and 11 join. These to be presently described.

At its forward end the shaft 6 is provided witha clutch head 13 which may be, and preferably is, in the form of a circular disk,

which disk constitutes one of the clutch members of the automatic clutch connecbores 10 and 11 are employed for a purpose tion to be presently described. The disk 13 is formed with a flat front face 14: arranged I the" outer edge of the 'fa e16.

' Arranged to rotate in a plane parallel to lthe'headf 13 is a second clutch head, consist ing preferably of a circular disk 18 of. the same diameter as the disk 13, which disk is provided atits outer ,facewith'a centrally "extending stub-shaft 19 formed at its outer end with a poly-faced end or. head 20 to receive the correspondingly formed socket-21 on the detachable hand-operated crank 22,

' said stub-shaft 19 1 being in longitudinal 'alinementwith the said shaft 6, heretofore described. formed with a face 23 disposed in a ,plane parallel to the plane of'thelface 1%,heretoforedescribe'd, onthe disk 13, said disk 18 being provided with radial jaws or teeth 24, adapted to form an interlocking driving engagement with the teeth 15, heretofore described. These teeth '24: are provided with Y j' engagi ng faces 25, preferably at rightangles to the face23 and with inclined or "cam faces 26 leading outwardfrom said face 23 to'the outer edges of the faces 25. I It willfbeunderstood thatthe engaging faces "'16 on the clutch head 13 face rearwardfrom "the direction of rotation, whilefthe faces 25 i on the disk 23 face in the directionof rotation so that, when said faces 16 and 25,, are engaged and thespindle or. stub-shaft 19 is turned clockwise, the shaftb will be turned to rotate the engine shaft in proper, direction to' start. the "engine.

. Formed rigid with, or connected to, the d1sk18 n any suitable manner is a-rodz2e which is arranged in longitudinal alinement with the spindle 19 and'eXtends through the bore'10, heretofore described, and into the '11 is an'expansion coil spring 27, one'end of which abuts the shoulder" 12, I heretofore teeth on the disk 18 being moved out of enc' 's p ",rod26 The function of this shaft '26 and spring 28 is'to yieldingly hold the disk 18 in'proper relation to the disk 13 to cause the teeth 24 to take position to properly enchamber 11 Surroundingthat portion of the rod 26*v which is located within the bore described, while the opposite end abuts a 28 carried by the inner end of the gage with the teeth 15 when the stub-shaft 19' is rotated clockwise, but to permit the gagement with teeth 15 on the'disk13 when the clutch parts'are disconnected-b means which I will now describe. a

Each of the is'k's'13 and 18 is provid d The disk. 18, just described, is

with peripheral pocketsor recesses spaced equally about the circumference of the disk, said; recesses or pockets being preferablv four in. number, although this number may 'bevaried to a greater or less number with-.

out departing from the scope of my invention. 'These recesses are preferably each 7 formed with a bottom wall 29 arrangedin a plane parallel tothe planeof'rotation ofthe disks, and leading to this bottom wall 29 in rear thereof relative toth'e direction of rotation, is an inclined fac'e30, the inner, edge of which terminates shoulder 31 at; the rear edge of said wall 29., said faces30 and :31 serving a purpose to be presently de-'.

scribedl Leading from the front edge lofieach of V the bottom walls 29 is an inclined cam surface 32, the-outer edgejof which terminates,

j at theplane of the faces 14; and 23. -Upon reference to the drawings it will be seenthat the disks 13 and 1S areprovidedwith equal numbers of these recesses just described, the

recesses on one disk being. arranged face-tor face with those on the oppositediskwhen the locking teeth, ionjaws 15, and 24 are in- I ter'engaged, so thatsaid peripheral recesses in one disk will, register with" thoseinthe' other t'disk, asclearly' shown in Fig. '2. It

will be seen that in thearrangementjust described'the cam faees32 lead forward in the direction of rotation. Means is provided to coiiperate' with the; peripheral"recesses formed by the faces 29, 31 "a d 3,2 to po'sitively separate the; clutch elements to lbreak" thedriv'ing connection between the same by moving the disk 18 outward whenthe'shaft 16 is driven counter clockwise by the engine shaft. This means may C nsist. of an annular member preferably in the form of a sleeve 33 which surrounds and incloses the heads or disks 13and 18, heretofore described, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2 ofthe drawings; Thesleeve 33 is) prefer ably of'van internal diameterto contact or fclosely approach the circumferences of the. disks 13and 18', and providedwith in-I wardly-proj ecting expanders for Spreaders,

preferably in the form of blocks or projec tions 3. 1, and in number corresponding to the number of the peripheral recesses heretofore described, and arranged .to project respectively into each pair of' registerin'g recesses. These projections are ofgsuchra width lon- -gitudin ally of the shafts that: ends overlap the'shoulders 31 so that, whenithe disks 13 and18 are rotated, as when cranking the engine, said shoulders engage the endsof-said projections to cause the sleeve 33 to rotate with said disks. It will beun derstood that, during the running of the engine, or when the sameisbeing cranked, this sleeve 33 may turn continuously with the engine shaft.= i

$urro11nding the sleeve33 and ri g id'ly g nected thereto is a circumferential flange-35 provided on one of its faces with ratchet teeth 36, the locking or engaging faces of which face rearwardtfrom the direction of rotation.- Arranged to cooperate with this series of ratchet teeth is a locking pawl 37 pivoted to some point fixed relative to the shaft, which pawl runs over the'teeth during the/rotation of the sleeve while the engine is being cranked, said pawl being pref erably urged to operative engagement with the ratchet teeth by a spring 38. i

Arranged between the head-13 and-a suit able fixed part, for. instance, the'bearing 8, is an expansive coil spring 39 surrounding the shaft 6, the purpose of which spring is to normally urge said shaft 6 awayv from the shaft A to disconnect the clutch head 3 from the pin 1. v

The parts being as above described, the operation of the invention is as follows: The operator places the ordinary handcrank 22, employed for starting uinternal combustion engines, upon thestub-shaft 19,

and then pushes the shaft 6 inward to move the head 3 into position to havethe clutch teeth 2 engage the pin 1, on the shaft A, to

provide a driving engagement between said shafts 6 and.A. The operator thereupon swings the crank 22- in the proper direction to start the engine. This serves to move the ratchet teeth 2& on the disk 18 into positive engagement with'the teeth 15 onbthe disk 13, and thereby transm1t, the power from the hand-crank to the starting shaft 6 to rotate the latter; If the engine starts properly, there is no change in this relatlve arrangement of the parts, it being understood that the sleeve 33 turns withthe clutch members, the spreaders 34being engaged by the shoulders 31, heretofore described.

Should for any reason "the engine backfire, causingrotation of the shaft 6 counterclockwise, the disk '13 :will also be turned counter-clockwise, tending momentarily to turn the disk 18 rearward, due to the interengagement of the teeth 15 and 24.. This momentary turning of the two disks 13 and t 18 tends to turn the sleeve 33 rearward, but this cannot take place because sa1d sleeve is immediately locked against rearward rota-.

' tionby the pawl 37 thereby serving to hold the sleeve 33 stationary. The continued rotation of the disk 13 rearward throws the cam faces 32 in both disks against the ends of the projections 34, which serves, by a wedging or spreading action, to cause the disks 13' and 18 to be separated, the spring 27' permitting relative movement of the disks to such an extent as to disengage the teeth 15 and 24;. The disk 13is then free to rotate rearward relative to the disk 18, the clutch teeth 15 and 24 being separated to permit this rearward movement jWhen the engine shaft comes to rest the disks 13 and exerted by, the operator against the spring 39.

WhatI claim and desire to secure by Let-.

'ters Patent of the United States is 18 will have the peripheral recesses in aline- 4 ment -W1tll the spreaders 34 in said recesses,

1. A device of the character described,

comprising two shafts in longitudinal alinement, a clutch head on each of said shafts,

said clutch heads being adapted to cooperate to transmit rotary motion from one shaft to the'other, said heads having registering recesses on their adjacent faces, a'member concentnc wlth sa1d heads and having spreader projections extending into saidrecesses, and-means to hold said member against rotation when one of said shafts turns rearward.-

2. A device of the character described,

" comprising'two shafts in longitudinal aline- -ment,"a clutch head on each of said shafts, said clutchheadsbeing adapted to cooperate to transmit rotary motion-from one shaft to the other, said heads having registering recesses each formed with a cam face, a member concentric with sa1d heads and hav in-gspreader projections extending into said i recesses-and adapted to cooperate with said i j cam faces to separatesaid heads, and means,

to holdisaidmember against rotation when lone of said shafts turns rearward.

3. A device of the character described, comprising two shafts in longitudinal aline- --ment, a clutch head on each of said shafts,

said clutch heads being-adapted to cooperate to transmit rotary motion from one shaft tothe other, said heads having registering recesses each formed with a cam face, a member concentric with said heads and having-spreader projections extending into said recesses and adapted to cooperate with sa1d cam faces to separate said heads, means to hold said member against rotation when one of said shafts turns rearward, and means to hold said heads in engagement with yielding contact;

4. A device of the'character described, comprising two shafts in longitudinal alinement, a clutch head on each of said shafts, said clutch heads being adapted to cooperate to transmit rotarv motion from one shaft to the other, said heads having registering recesses on their adj oiningfaces, each recess having a bottom wall bounded on one side by a shoulder, and on the other side by a cam face, a member concentric with said heads and having spreader projections extendinginto said recesses and adapted to be engaged by said shoulders to turn with the heads, and also adapted to cooperate with .-s aid cam faces to separate the heads, and means tohold said member against rotation vj by a shoulder, and on the other side by a .when one of said shafts turns rearward. I

5."A device of the. character described,

comprising two shafts in longitudinal alinemerit, a clutch head on each of said shafts,

theother, saidheads having registering recesses on theirv ad oining faces, each recess having a bottom Wall bounded on one side cam face, a member concentric with said heads'and having spreader projections eX- tending'into said recesses and adapted to be engaged by said shoulders to turn with the @heads, and also adapted to cooperate with said cam faces to separate the heads, meansvto hold said: member against rotation when one of sa d shafts turns rearward, and means to hold said heads in yielding engagement with, eachother.- 1

. 6. A device of the character described,

comprising two shafts in longitudinal alinenien't, amclutchhead on each shaft, said clutch. heads, being adapted tocooperate to transmit rotary motion from one shaft to I extending longitudinallythereof, ja-rod con-f ielding engagement, spreader device protion whenone of the headsturns rearward.

' tering recesses each formed with a cam face, a member; concentric with said heads having the other, one of said shafts having a bore nected to the other of said shafts and extending through said bore, a spring -co-- operating with said rod'to hold the headsin jecting. between the heads, andlcam, faces on said heads adapted to be engaged by the? spreader device to separate the. heads, and

. the clutchhead on said shaft,- said-clutch headsbeing adapted to cooperate totrans- I mit rotary motion from said second clutch head to said shaft, sa1d heads having regisspreader projections extending intofsaid recesses and adapted to. cooperate with said cam faces to separate said heads, and means saidshaft turns, rearward. i

a 8. A device of the character described, comprising two shafts in longitudinal alinement, a clutch head-on each of said shafts,

to hold said member against rotation when said heads havii'ig clutch projections adaptedxto cot perate to. transmit rotary motion fee Y from onehead to the other, alining recesses formed in the peripheries of said heads, each recess having'an inclined cam face, a memberconc'entric with said heads and having a spreader projection extending into saidalinin'g recesses and adaptedto cooperate with the inclined faces,and means to hold said A; device of the character described,

member against rotation when one ofthe members, said clutch heads being adapted' to fsaidolutch heads adapted to cooperatelto I transmit rotarymotion from one shaft ,to

cooperate to transmit rotary I motion from having spreader projections extending into said recesses, and means to hold said-last named member against rotation-when one of said-firstnamed members turns rearward.

10. A device'ofthe character described,

comprising two shafts arranged in longitudinal alinement, a clutch'head on each of said shafts, said heads being provided with clutch-projections adapted to cooperate to transmit rotary motion from one head to the other, and said heads being provided with alining recesses provided withoppo'sed cam faces leading from the. bases of the re "'cesses to-x'the adjacentfacesof the heads, a

member surrounding saidxheads and having a spreader. projection extending into said reicesses' and normally arranged with its opposite ends adjacent the bases of the. recesses, the opposite. ends of-saidprojection being adapted to, coiiperateaavithl said inclined facesto separate the heads upon rotation of therllieadsrelative to said riifember,; and

means to hold said, member. against rota- '11. ri. device"of "the character described, comprisinga rotary member having a clutch head thereon, a second clutch-head adapted to be manually, rotated, said ,el'utch heads being adapted-to cooperate to transmit rotary motion from oneto the other, and hav ting registeringrecesses' on their-(adjacent faces, a member concentric with said heads and having spreader pro ections extending into said recesses, said pro ections and reg cesses being cooperable to disengage the clutch heads and means to hold said last named" member aga nst rotation when sa1d i'otary'me'niber turns rearward.

I 12; at device of the characterdescribed,

comprising a rotarymember having a clutch head thereon, a second clutch headadapted to be, manually rotated, said clutch ihejadsfl being. adapted to cooperate to transmit rotary motion fromrone to the other, and; having, registering recesses on 2 their. adjacent faces, a member con'centricwith said-heads and having spreader projectionsexten'ding inwardly therefrom, into said recesses, sa1d projections-and recesses being cooperable to disengage the. clutch heads and means to" hold saidlast-named member against rotation when said rotary member turns rear-' I 13. A device of the;.cliaracterfldescribed,

comprising a rotary member, havinga clutch i,121,68o v 5 being adapted to cooperate to transmit rotary motion from one to the other, each of said clutch heads having a recess therein, the. recesses in said clutch heads registering, a

member having a spreader projection extending into said recesses, said spreader and recesses being cooperable to spread the 10 clutch heads, and means to hold said lastnamed member against rotation When said rotary member turns rearward.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of tWosubscribing Witnesses.

MELVILLE .B. SMITH.

Witnesses:

JAS. N, STEWART, C. G. -HEYLMER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

